Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama get the "Biography" treatment in a pair of DVDs expected to be released on Tuesday (Aug. 5).

The two leading presidential contenders are the subjects of separate episodes previously seen on The Biography Channel and given cursory updates to reflect their current campaigns.

While a lack of information about the candidates' positions on issues is disappointing, voters will gain insight into the character of the men. The manner in which the DVDs humanize the candidates is their greatest contribution to the national discourse.

As in most episodes of "Biography, " the subjects are presented in a generally positive light. However, there are portions of each episode that won't make it into the candidates' campaign commercials.

For example, the teenage McCain is painted as a rebel, the leader of a group of students who smoke, drank and broke curfew to chase girls. He graduated fifth from the bottom of his class at the U.S. Naval Academy and became something of a playboy before settling down.

Obama had his own challenges during his high school and college years. After having been raised by his white mother and white grandparents, he struggled to determine what it meant to be African-American, falling into the trap of the worst of stereotypes. He acted tough, took up basketball and let his schoolwork slide while dabbling in drugs.

Obviously, each man eventually had a life-changing experience.

It was McCain's military service, including his 5 ½-year ordeal as a prisoner of war in Vietnam (and, earlier, his survival of a tragic fire aboard the USS Forrestal in 1967), that focused his desire to serve his country.

For Obama, it was a visit to the village in Kenya from which his father had come. Seeing the conditions firsthand helped Obama understand why his father had left him and his mother years before to put his education to use to better his homeland. Obama, about to enter Harvard Law School, knew then that service to one's country was a worthy ambition.

The McCain episode appears to have been made shortly after the senator lost his 2000 bid for the Republican presidential nomination to George W. Bush; the Obama episode, shortly after his 2004 address before the Democratic National Convention and his election that fall as a senator from Illinois.

After the credits roll, each episode is given a brief update to address the current campaign, though the Obama episode ends with his battle against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton continuing even as the two promise a united party for the fall election.

BIOGRAPHY: JOHN McCAIN
& BIOGRAPHY: BARACK OBAMA
2½ stars each

What: On separate DVDs, The Biography Channel takes a look at the lives of the leading presidential candidates. Rating: Unrated; merits PG, for mature themes. Running time: 47 minutes each.

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home EntertainmentAbigail Breslin, left, and Jodie Foster in 'Nim's Island.'

Nim's Island 2½ stars (PG, 2008) A young girl, accompanied by her animal friends, is left to fend for herself on a remote island when her scientist father is lost at sea. Based on the novel by Wendy Orr. Abigail Breslin, Jodie Foster and Gerard Butler star in a film directed by Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett. As sweet and heartfelt as the story is, it suffers from a generally clunky script. Still, younger viewers will likely be swept up in the story, even if their adult chaperones are left glancing at their wristwatches. DVD includes audio commentary, deleted scenes and production documentaries. Mild adventure action and brief language. 1 hour 36 minutes. (TP)

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentFrom left, August Diehl, Karl Markovics, Veit Stuebner and August Zirner in 'The Counterfeiters.'

The Counterfeiters 3 stars (R, 2007) A group of concentration-camp prisoners are pressed into service by their Nazi captors into running what is called the largest counterfeiting operation in history. The film, which earlier this year won the Oscar for best foreign-language film, is based on actual events. Karl Markovics, Devid Striesow and August Diehl star in director Stefan Ruzowitzky's WWII-era drama. It's a powerful and absorbing story that is well told, even if it ends up being somewhat one-dimensional. In German with subtitles. DVD includes audio commentary and a look at the making of the film. Strong violence, brief sexuality/nudity and language. 1 hour 38 minutes. (TP)

Smart People 3 stars (R, 2008) An acerbic literature professor with a tendency to alienate people finds himself struggling to reconnect with his family. "Juno" star Ellen Page co-stars in a dramatic comedy with Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church. Noam Murro directs. It's a deliberately paced film, but the characters are so likable and the acting so fine that it's easy to get caught up in it. DVD, which will be released Aug. 12, includes audio commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes and interviews. Language, brief teen drug and alcohol use, and some sexuality. 1 hour 35 minutes. (TP)

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